Action repeating device



July 22, 1969 YUTAKA KOIZUMI ACTION REPEA'IING DEVICE Filed Sept. 28, 1967 FIG. 4

FIG. 3

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United States Patent ACTION REPEATING DEVICE Yutaka Koizumi, Tokyo, Japan, assignor to Kabushlki Kaisha Ricoh, Tokyo, Japan Filed Sept. 28, 1967, Ser. No. 671,281 Claims priority, application Japan, Oct. 12, 1966, 41/67,022 Int. Cl. F16h 27/02 U.S. Cl. 74142 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An action repeating device is provided which comprises a displaceable stopper which can be located in a selected position corresponding to the number of times an action is to be repeated, the stopper determining an initial position of a notched rotatable disk which is coupled with a ratchet means which rotates the disk in one direction from the initial position thereof, through an angle corresponding to the number of times an action is to be repeated. An operating plate is operatively associated with the disk and controls the closure of switch means which in turn controls the operation of the device, said operating plate being pivotably supported and including a member in pressure contact with the disk along the rotary path of the notch therein, so as to prevent reverse rotation of the ratchet means until the disk is rotated to a position in which the notch is in registry with the member on the operating plate upon completion of the selected number of times the operation is to be repeated, at which time the member enters the notch and the switch means is opened and the device stops.

This invention relates to a device wherein the number of times of fixed actions to be repeated is preset on a scale plate, the operation of a starting button commences the actions, at the completion of said number of times the repeated actions automatically cease, and thereinafter reoperation of said starting button causes the mechanism to repeat its actions for the number of times initially set.

As the fixed actions in various machines, for example, a duplicator, more specifically, an automatic duplicator, can be enumerated an automatic printing-paper supply means, an exposure means interlocked with said paper supply means, and a means controlling said two means. When this invention is applied to said automati duplica tor, a pre-set number of copies can be obtained simply by operating the starting button, and upon completion of said number of copies, the operation is repeated again by pushing said starting button. Thus, by operating the starting button, the actions are repeated for the designated number of times. When six copies of each of five originals are required, the number 6 on the scale is set on the fixed index, the starting button is operated for the same number of times with the number of originals (five times in this case), and thirty copies will be obtained.

This invention is described with reference to the appended drawing illustrating an embodiment of the invention in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an action repeating device according to an embodimest of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are sectional views indicating the operating condition of the mechanism in FIG. 4.

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FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a major part of the device aocording to this invention.

Reference number 1 denotes a base plate. 2 denotes a bearing fixed on the base plate 1 (see FIG. 2). At the external end of a shaft 3 supported on the bearing 2 for rotation, is fixed an operating knob 5 with a scale 4 integrated thereon. At the internal end of said shaft 3 is fixed a position determining plate 6 having serrations 6a on the periphery thereof. At the part of said shaft 3 corresponding to the internal end of said bearing 2, is fixed a collar 8 with a stopper 7 projecting in a radial direction. A driving member 11 which oscillates around the shaft 3 is provided between a washer 9 fitted in a neck 3a of said shaft 3 and a stationary plate 10. A cylinder 12 is fitted loosely between said washer 9 and said collar 8. At opposite ends of said cylinder 12 are fixed a ratchet wheel 13 and a notched disk 14 respectively.

Said stationary plate 10 is supported on the base plate 1 by means of four supports 15a, 15b, 15c and 15d (see FIG. 3). At the tops of supports 15a and 15b, as shown in FIG. 3, are fixed both ends of an elastic strip plate 16 which presses a projection 16a against the serrated periphery of said positions determining plate 6. This elastic strip plate 16 and the position determining plate operate so as to hold temporarily the rotating position of the stopper 7 which is substantially integrated with said scale 4.

As shown in FIG. 3, driving member 11 is urged in a counterclockwise direction by a tension spring 17 one end of which is fixed to a bent arm 10a of the stationary plate 10. Furthermore, a ratchet wheel feed pawl 18 cooperating with the ratchet wheel 13 is pivoted by means of a shaft 19 on said driving member 11. Said feed pawl 18 is urged in the clockwise direction around the shaft 19 under the influence of a spring which is not shown in the drawing. A bent arm 11a of said driving member 11 is pulled intermittently against the action of spring 17 by the machine equipped with this device, for example, a movable member of a duplicator, and thereby said driving member 11 oscillates around the shaft 3 within a range of a fixed angle and the ratchet wheel 13 is given a rotation of one tooth by said pawl 18. Said notched disk 14- is urged in the clockwise direction in FIG. 3 by a comparatively weak spring 21, FIG. 2, one end of which is fixed to a pin 20 tightly mounted in said disk 14 and the other end of which is fixed to the collar 8 (FIG. 2). When said notched disk 14 is in the state for rotation, said pin 20 is engaged with the stopper 7.

An operating plate 22 is swingably mounted on a pair of cars 1a provided on the base plate 1 by means of a shaft 23. On the outer surface of said operating plate 22 is fixed an exposed starting button 24. At a side edge of said operating plate 22, are an engaging member 22a which cooperates with the notched disk 14 and a striking arm 22!) pressure-contacted by an arm 25a of a swing plate 25 pivoted on the stationary plate 10. Said swing plate 25 is, as shown in FIG. 2, supported loosely by a shaft 28 which is engaged in the arm 1% of the stationary plate 10 and by a supporting plate 27 having ends fixed to said stationary plate 10 with two rivets 26 (see FIG. 3). On said swing plate 25 are pressure-contacted working points 29a and 30a of microswitches 29 and 30 which are fixed to said supporting plate 27. The pressure-contact of said working points 29a and 3011 against the swing plate 25 applies pressure to operating plate 22 via arm 25a of said swing plate 25. As a result, said engaging member 22a of the operating plate 22 is urged against the circumference of the notched disk 14. Under this pressure, said notched disk 14 is not allowed to rotate by the action of the spring 21 (see FIG. 2). Said engaging member 22a is in pressure contact with said notched disk 14 along the rotary path 3 of a notch 14a provided at the periphery of said notched disk 14. When said notched disk 14 is rotated together with the ratchet 13 and said notch 14a and the engaging part 22a are registered with each other, said engaging part 22a, as shown in FIG. 7, is inserted into the notch 14a.

The feed pawl 18 pivoted on the driving member 11 is positioned away from the ratchet wheel 13 when the driving member 11 is at the initial position as shown in FIG. 4, through the action of a pin 31 rigidly fixed at the stationary plate 10. As shown in FIG. 5, when said driving member 11 is rotated in the clockwise direction against the action of spring 17, said pawl 18 engages the ratchet wheel 13. When said driving member 11 is moved back by the elasticity of the spring 17, the ratchet wheel 13 is given a rotation of one tooth by said pawl 18.

The shaft 3 with the scale 4 fixed thereto is limited in rotation by a pin 32 rigidly mounted on the base plate 1 and positioned in the rotary path of the stopper 7.

The microswitches 29 and 30 are both of the normally open type. One of the switches 29, when the working contact 29a thereof is pushed in by the swing plate 25, makes the duplicator start its operation. Then the duplicator, even if the depressed working contact 29a moves back to its initial position, i.e., even if the contacts are opened, continues its action so as to oscillate the driving member 11 with a movable member of the duplicator (not shown in the drawing). When the contact point of the other microswitch 30 is opened, the duplicator stops its operation. As shown in FIG. 1, in the state wherein the engaging part 22a is pressure-contacted with the notched disk 14, the contact point of the microswitch 29 is open and that of the other switch 30 is closed.

FIG. 1 denotes the instant when the duplicator starts operating after the starting button 24 is depressed by a finger of the operator and the finger is withdrawn from said button. When the duplicator starts operating, the driving member 11 (see FIG. 4) is oscillated and the ratchet Wheel 13 is rotated through one tooth for each oscillation. FIG. 6 denotes the state wherein the ratchet wheel 13 has been rotated through an angle corresponding to six teeth by six oscillations of the driving member 11. The ratchet wheel 13 is not rotated any further because of a toothless part 13a provided therein. The rotation amount of the ratchet wheel 13 through the driving member 11 is determined by the initial position of said ratchet wheel 13. The initial position of the ratchet wheel, as shown in FIG. 4, is determined by the initial position of the stopper 7. That is, the position of the stopper 7 determines the initial position of the pin on the notched disk 14 engaged with said stopper 7. In this Way, the number 6 on the scale 4 indicates the number of copies that has been set on the fixed index (not shown in the figures) to rotate the ratchet wheel 13 through an angle corresponding to six teeth. Accordingly, when the duplicator starts its operation, if the driving member 11 is given one oscillation each time one copy is obtained, the ratchet 13 is rotated for the same number of teeth as that of the copies set on said scale.

The corresponding positions of the toothless part 13a of said ratchet wheel 13 and said notch 1411 are determined so that the notch 14a of the notched disk 14 and the engaging part 2211 are registered at the same time the designated number of copies are obtained, that is, the feed pawl 18, as shown in FIG. 6, cannot operate the ratchet wheel 13. When said engaging part 22a is inserted into the notch 14a, the operating plate 22 can swing. Thereby, the swing plate pressure-contacted against the arm 22b of said operating plate 22, as shown in FIG. 1, is rotated around the shaft 28 in the counterclockwise direction. Consequently, the working contact a of the microswitch 30 can extend and switch 30 is opened, whereupon the duplicator stops.

When the starting button 24 is pushed in again, the engaging part 22a is removed from the notch 14a and the notched disk 14 is rotated back from the position shown in FIG. 6 to that in FIG. 4 by the elasticity of the spring 21 (see FIG. 2), and, at the same time, the arm 22b of the operating plate 22 pushes the working contact 29a of the microswitch 29 via the swing plate 25. The duplicator, thereby, commences operating.

While the ratchet wheel 13 is intermittently rotated by being pulled by the feed pawl 18, said ratchet wheel 13 cannot rotate in the opposite direction because the engaging part 22a is pressure-contacted against the notched disk 14, even if said ratchet wheel is made to rotate in the opposite direction by means of the spring 21 operating the notched disk 14 (see FIG. 2).

In FIG. 4, when the starting button 24 (see FIG. 1) is pushed after the stopper 7, as shown by a chain line 7', is rotated in the clockwise direction to the limit position engaging with the pin 32, the notched disk 14 is rotated to the position where the pin 20, as shown by a chain line 20', engages with said stopper 7, the toothless part 13a of the ratchet wheel 13 integral with said notched disk 14 is in the position shown by a chain line 13a, and the feed pawl 18 cannot feed the ratchet wheel. Accordingly, while the stopper 7 is at the limit position shown by 7, the duplicator continues to be operated without stopping automatically. On the contrary, when the stopper 7 is at the other limit position shown by a chain line 7", one copy is obtained each time the starting button 24 is pushed.

This invention is, needless to say, not limited to a duplicator alone, but is also applicable to various machines which repeat fixed actions.

What is claimed is:

1. An action repeating device comprising a displaceable stopper which can be located in a selected position corresponding to the number of times an action is to be repeated, a rotatable disk having an initial position determined by said stopper, said disk being provided with a notch, ratchet means coupled with said disk for rotating the same in one direction from said initial position through an angle corresponding to the number of times an action is to be repeated, first and second normally open switch means controlling operation of said device, and an operating plate operatively coupled to said first and second switch means and operatively associated with said disk for controlling the closure of said switch means and the operation of said device, said operating plate being displaceable and including a member in pressure contact with said disk along the rotary path of the notch therein, said member preventing reverse rotation of the ratchet means, said plate being initially displaceable to close both said switch means thereby to activate said device, release of said plate causing opening of said first switch means and pressure contact of said member on said disk, the contact of said member on said disk preventing opening of the second switch means whereby the device is operative until the notch in the disk is registered with said member on the operating plate upon completion of the selected number of times the operation is to be repeated and said member enters said notch and the second switch means opens and the device stops.

2. An action repeating device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ratchet means comprises a ratchet wheel and an operating member which is oscillated in accordance with each operation of said device, and means coupling said operating member with said ratchet wheel to operate the latter in concurrence with each operation of the device.

3. An action repeating device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said operating plate is supported for pivotal movement.

4. An action repeating device as claimed in claim 3 comprising a pivotal swing plate between said operating plate and said switch means for operating the latter in response to pivotal movement of said operating plate.

5. An action repeating device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means coupling the operating member and the ratchet means comprises a pawl pivotably supported on the operating member and engageable with said ratchet wheel only when causing displacement thereof in said one direction.

6. An action repeating device as claimed in claim 5 urge the disk coupled therewith to said initial position thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,133,448 5/1964 Davis et a1. 74142 3,151,490 10/1964 Kessler 74--142 3,216,265 11/1965 Christoff 74-142 comprising spring means acting on said ratchet wheel to 10 MILTON KAUFMAN, Primary Examiner 

